Frontiers Records is pleased to unveil all details surrounding the new SUNSTORM studio project featruing former RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE singer JOE LYNN TURNER on all Lead Vocals !
The origins of the SUNSTORM project lie in tape trading! A few years ago, when they were just friends and fans, Serafino Perugino (Frontiers Records President) and Mario de Riso (Frontiers Label Manager) used to exchange stuff and music to listen. One day, Mario gave Serafino a cassette he had from a journalist, with the "unreleased Joe Lynn Turner" second album demos.
This tape featured some glorious songs, that followed very well the musical path established by the singer on his debut solo album "Rescue You". Many years passed after that days, but when Frontiers finally signed Joe Lynn Turner to the label, Serafino took the chance to ask Joe about those songs.
Turner thought that it was time to take off the dust to that material. According to the singer: "I was writing at the time for a more commercial market, concentrating my abilities on songwriting especially. I think the songs I wrote at the time, can stand the test of time because they are classics. A great song is a great song, no matter when it's released. Those songs should have made it to my second album for Elektra, but then I fired the producer and then the mess started and we decided to part ways with the label and nothing happened for no reason".
Taking inspiration from the material available, Perugino reconnected Joe Lynn with Jim Peterik, the glorious AOR songwriter (ex SURVIVOR and now mastermind of PRIDE OF LIONS) with whom he collaborated a few years ago. "Jim and I are great friends and I admire him a lot", says Joe, adding "it is a little known fact that Jim was called in to help the songwriting for Deep Purple's follow up to the "Slaves and Masters" album. Together with me and Ritchie, we wrote some killer stuff which was later rejected by the other guys, since they thought it changed the direction of the band too much".
Jim Peterik says: "I am honoured that one of my all time favourite singers has chosen to record some of my songs for this record! Joe Lynn is truly the "singer's singer" and he blew me away from the very first time I saw him singing the video of "I Surrender" from Rainbow. I think with this release he will re-establish himself once again as one of the premiere rock voices of our time".
Turner, therefore went through some of the material sent by Peterik, along with a few other tracks submitted by Perugino and agreed to give birth to a project that could rediscover and highlight the AOR roots of his voice and sound.
Frontiers hired once again the amazing Dennis Ward (PINK CREAM 69) for the job of creating the perfect production and background performances behind his voice, similarly to what happened to the acclaimed PLACE VENDOME album. Also featured are Uwe Reitenauer on lead guitars, Chris Schmidt on drums and Jochen Weyer on keyboards.
The resulting album is a monster piece of classic AOR the way it should be and sound in 2006, but with the class and the fascination of the 80's! Turner says: "There are plenty of other songs from that era that I believe should be heard… maybe someday" …the doors to the SUNSTORM chapter II are opened from now, it will be up to the fans to decide whether they will want it to happen !
Enjoy the first musical sample from SUNSTORM, the gorgeous album opener Keep Tonight
SUNSTORM will be released in Europe on Frontiers Records on September 22nd 2006 with a release in Japan scheduled on King Records and in the USA on Locomotive Records. Also the album will be available for digital download through I-Tunes, E-Music and other fine digital shops within one month from the physical release date.